In Arkansas, two people died in the small town of Wayne, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at a press conference declaring a state of emergency and deploying 100 National Guardsmen.
In Pulaski County, where the severely damaged Arkansas capital, Little Rock, is located, authorities have confirmed to AFP that a third person has died.
“About 30 people have been taken to hospitals,” Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott told reporters.
A tornado overturned cars and uprooted huge trees. Lara Farrar, a reporter for a local business newspaper, told AFP she was “shocked” by the devastation in her hometown of Little Rock.
It added that “some houses were completely destroyed,” and published pictures of destroyed homes, partially collapsed walls and trees on the ground.
“The neighborhood is completely destroyed,” she added, pointing to rubble stretching regarding 500 meters away, with “very minor damage” outside.
In the north of the country, in the small town of Belvedere, west of Chicago, in the state of Illinois, part of the roof of a concert hall collapsed following a storm passed while the audience was watching a performance by a metal band, local media reported.
Local newspapers said that a number of ambulances were sent to the place.
At regarding 02:40 GMT on Saturday, power was cut off for regarding 110,000 people in Illinois, 74,000 in Arkansas and 27,000 others in Iowa, according to the specialized site “Power-Autig.US”.
Hurricanes are a frequent phenomenon in the United States, especially in the center and south of the country.
A week ago, a hurricane struck Mississippi, killing 25 people and causing extensive property damage.
President Joe Biden inspected the site on Friday.
Since December 2021, regarding eighty people have been killed following hurricanes hit Kentucky.
© 2023 AFP
